


but the war won

by thewhitebirds



Series: when the war came [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Character Death, Gen, Reconciliation, Sisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 21:44:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewhitebirds/pseuds/thewhitebirds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The rubble of the castle and the shouting of other survivors and Healers muffle the sound of her heart as it breaks." Andromeda loses a daughter but gains a sister.</p>
            </blockquote>





	but the war won

**Author's Note:**

> Drabble for the Welcome Home ficathon at Livejournal

Someone is screaming.   
  
Andromeda vaguely wonders for a moment who it could be until her lungs burn and her throat rasps. No one notices. The rubble of the castle and the shouting of other survivors and Healers muffle the sound of her heart as it breaks. She doesn't need Minerva to tell her what happened; as she kneels on the dusty floor by Dora's body, holding her cold, stiff hand, she can feel Bellatrix's laughter from beyond the grave.   
  
Everyone knows that the Blacks are mad, but it's only now that Andromeda realizes that _she_ is as mad as the rest of them. Mad to think that there was an escape. Mad to endanger Ted by falling in love, mad to doom Dora with this past. Mad to think that she was special, different in some incomprehensible way, _better_. She played with fire and she lost.   
  
The tears are falling thickly now, and she doesn't realize what's happening at first when she feels a tentative hand squeezing her shoulder. She pulls away.  
  
 _"You."_ Her voice cracks.  
  
"Me," Narcissa says quietly. She doesn't look like the society lady from _Prophet_ pages today; Andromeda can see dark circles around her eyes and bruises on her face.  
  
"I hope you're happy," she manages to croak, wiping her face with a grimy hand. "This is what you _wanted_ , isn't it? What all of you wanted. You can go back to the Manor and gloat now. You won."  
  
Narcissa doesn't flinch or look away. "It never was about winning, Andie. For you and Bella, maybe, but not for me."  
  
The tears are returning, leaving clean tracks on her grimy face. "I hate you," she whispers, but she doesn't resist when Narcissa moves forward and wraps her arms around her gently.  
  
"It's not me you hate, Andie," she replies, and their tears mix together.


End file.
